Bitumens comprising unconventional bitumen bases

Abstract

Between 40% and 75% by weight of a first bitumen base B1 an asphalt obtained by a solvent deasphalting of a first vacuum residue R1 resulting from the distillation of an effluent hydroconverted by a process for the ebullated bed hydroconversion of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, andBetween 25% and 60% by weight of a second bitumen base B2 and/or of a flux F, F at least one heavy aromatic cut with a hydrogen content of greater than 8.5% by weight, B2, R1 or a second vacuum residue R2 resulting from a distillation of a crude oil or a mixture of R1 and R2.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Bitumen comprising:
 between 40% and 75% by weight of a first bitumen base B1 consisting of an asphalt obtained by a solvent deasphalting of a first vacuum residue R1 resulting from the distillation of an effluent hydroconverted by a process for the ebullated bed hydroconversion of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, B1 having a softening point of between 50° C. and 110° C., and 
 between 25% and 60% by weight of a second bitumen base B2 and/or of a flux F, F consisting of at least one heavy aromatic cut having a starting point of greater than 350° C., a 90% distilled point of less than 650° C. according to Standard ASTM D2887 and a hydrogen content of greater than 8.5% by weight, B2 consisting of R1 or a second vacuum residue R2 resulting from a distillation of a crude oil or consisting of a mixture of R1 and of R2, 
 the sum of the percentages by weight of B1, B2 and F being equal to 100%, and 
 wherein said bitumen consists of: 
 between 40% and 75% by weight of B1 if said bitumen consists of B1 and F, 
 between 40% and 50% by weight of B1 if said bitumen consists of B1 and B2, and 
 between 40% and 70% by weight of B1 if said bitumen consists of B1 and a mixture of F with B2. 
 
     
     
       2. The bitumen according to  claim 1 , in which said heavy aromatic cut is an aromatic cut extracted from vacuum distillates obtained in a process for the manufacture of lubricating oils. 
     
     
       3. The bitumen according to  claim 1 , in which said heavy hydrocarbon feedstock sent into the hydroconversion process contains hydrocarbon fractions, at least 80% by weight of which have a starting boiling point of at least 300° C., or consists of atmospheric residues and/or of vacuum residues resulting from the atmospheric and/or vacuum distillation of a crude oil. 
     
     
       4. The bitumen according to  claim 1 , in which R2 results from the atmospheric and vacuum distillation of a crude oil having been used as feedstock in the ebullated bed hydroconversion process. 
     
     
       5. The bitumen according to  claim 1 , in which R1 comprises a residual fraction boiling at a temperature of greater than or equal to 540° C. and is obtained by atmospheric and vacuum distillation of the effluent hydroconverted by the process for the ebullated bed hydroconversion of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, said process comprising at least one hydroconversion stage, carried out under an absolute pressure of between 2 and 38 MPa, at a temperature of between 300° C. and 550° C., at an hourly space velocity HSV, with respect to the volume of each three-phase reactor, of between 0.0511 h −1  and 1011 h −1  and under an amount of hydrogen mixed with the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock of between 50 and 5000 standard cubic meters (Sm 3 ) per cubic meter (m 3 ) of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock. 
     
     
       6. The bitumen according to  claim 1 , in which B1 is an asphalt obtained by a deasphalting of R1 with a hydrocarbon solvent predominantly comprising compounds having 3 to 4 carbon atoms, with a solvent/feedstock ratio volume/volume of between 4/1 and 10/1, a temperature of between 40° C. and 150° C., and a pressure of between 2 MPa and 6 MPa. 
     
     
       7. The bitumen according to  claim 1 , consisting of B1 and R1. 
     
     
       8. The bitumen according to  claim 1 , consisting of B1 and F. 
     
     
       9. The bitumen according to  claim 1 , consisting of B1 and a mixture of R1 and/or R2 with F. 
     
     
       10. The bitumen according to  claim 9 , in which B1 represents between 50% and 60% by weight of said bitumen, R1 and/or R2 represents between 25% and 45% by weight of said bitumen and F represents between 5% by weight and 15% by weight of said bitumen. 
     
     
       11. The bitumen according to  claim 9 , in which B1 represents between 40% and 60% by weight of said bitumen, R1 and/or R2 represents between 25% and 45% by weight of said bitumen and F represents between 5% by weight and 15% by weight of said bitumen. 
     
     
       12. The bitumen according to  claim 11 , in which B1 represents between 40% and 55% by weight of said bitumen, R1 and/or R2 represents between 30% and 45% by weight of said bitumen and F represents between 5% by weight and 15% by weight of said bitumen. 
     
     
       13. The bitumen according to  claim 9 , consisting of B1 and a mixture of R1 and F and in which B1 and R1 represent between 85% and 95% by weight of said bitumen and F represents between 5% by weight and 15% by weight of said bitumen. 
     
     
       14. The bitumen according to  claim 1 , which is a road bitumen having a ring and ball softening point of greater than or equal to 43° C. and less than 58° C. and a penetrability at 25° C. of greater than or equal to 35° C. and less than 100° C. 
     
     
       15. A road surfacing consisting of a mixture of the bitumen according to  claim 1  with a mineral aggregate. 
     
     
       16. A road comprising the bitumen according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       17. A process for preparing the bitumen according to  claim 1 , said process comprising:
 a first stage a) of hydroconversion of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, carried out in the presence of hydrogen in a first hydroconversion section comprising at least one three-phase reactor containing at least one hydroconversion catalyst operating as an ebullated bed, at an absolute pressure of between 2 MPa and 38 MPa, at a temperature of between 300° C. and 550° C., at an hourly space velocity, with respect to the volume of each three-phase reactor, of between 0.05 h −1  and 1011 h −1 , and with an amount of hydrogen of between 50 Sm 3 /m 3  and 5000 Sm 3 /m 3 , so as to obtain a liquid hydroconverted effluent having a reduced content of C 7  asphaltenes, of Conradson carbon, of metals, of sulfur and of nitrogen; 
 optionally a stage b) of separation of the hydroconverted effluent resulting from the first hydroconversion stage to form at least one light fraction and one heavy fraction; 
 optionally a second stage c) of hydroconversion of the liquid hydroconverted effluent resulting from the first hydroconversion stage a) or of the heavy fraction resulting from stage b), carried out in the presence of hydrogen in a second hydroconversion section comprising at least one three-phase reactor containing at least one hydroconversion catalyst operating as an ebullated bed, at an absolute pressure of between 2 MPa and 38 MPa, at a temperature of between 300° C. and 550° C., at an hourly space velocity, with respect to the volume of each three-phase reactor, of between 0.05 h −1  and 1011 h −1 , and with an amount of hydrogen of between 50 Sm 3 /m 3  and 5000 Sm 3 /m 3 ; 
 a stage d) of atmospheric distillation followed by a vacuum distillation of a part or of the whole of the liquid hydroconverted effluent resulting from the first hydroconversion stage a) or of the liquid hydroconverted effluent resulting from the second hydroconversion stage c), producing at least one first vacuum residue R1 boiling predominantly at a temperature of greater than or equal to 350° C., said vacuum residue containing a residual fraction boiling at a temperature of greater than or equal to 540° C.; 
 a stage e) of deasphalting said first vacuum residue R1 resulting from stage d), at a temperature of between 40° C. and 150° C. and a pressure of between 2 and 6 MPa, with at least one hydrocarbon solvent predominantly comprising compounds having from 3 to 4 carbon atoms, and a solvent/feedstock ratio volume/volume of between 4/1 and 10/1, producing a deasphalted fraction DAO and an asphalt; 
 a stage f) of preparation of a bitumen comprising the mixing of a part or of the whole of the asphalt resulting from stage e) as a first bitumen base B1 with a second bitumen base B2 and/or a flux F, B2 consisting of a part of said first vacuum residue R1 and/or a second vacuum residue R2 resulting from the distillation of a crude oil, and F consisting of at least one heavy aromatic cut having a starting point of greater than 350° C., a 90% distilled point of less than 650° C. according to Standard ASTM D2887 and a hydrogen content of greater than 8.5% by weight, in order to produce said bitumen so that it consists of between 40% and 75% by weight of B1 and between 25% and 60% by weight of B2 and/or F, with at the most 75% by weight of B1 when said bitumen consists of B1 and F, at the most 50% by weight of B1 when said bitumen consists of B1 and B2, and at the most 70% by weight of B1 when said bitumen consists of B1 and a mixture of F with B2, the sum of the percentages by weight of B1, B2 and F being equal to 100%.